Italian coffee giant Lavazza is hoping to boost its international sales by establishing a presence in United States grocery stores.

Ennio Ranaboldo, chief executive of Lavazza North America, recently told Reuters that the coffee company wants to branch out from its primary role as a restaurant supplier in the U.S., to compete with popular grocery brands such as Gevalia and Starbucks. The company hopes to have four packaged blends on store shelves by September. Here’s more from the Ranaboldo interview:

“The U.S. and Canada are a priority for Lavazza. The U.S. … is still the richest, most dynamic coffee market in the world,” he said.

Lavazza buys around 2.3 million bags of green coffee annually.

Going head to head with U.S. household brands such as Starbucks Corp, the new blends Gran Aroma, Classico, Gran Selezione and Perfetto will be on U.S. and Canadian shelves in time for the holiday season at the end of the year.

Lavazza remains one of Italy’s leading coffee wholesale and retail providers, routinely boasting more than 40 percent of the country’s market share. The company has invested heavily in Asia and the United States over the past two years, including building a 7.5 percent stake in Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.

Nick Brown
Nick Brown is the editor of Daily Coffee News by Roast Magazine. Feedback and story ideas are welcome at publisher@dailycoffeenews.com.

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2 Comments

They’d better do something about the consistency of their product, if they haven’t yet. I used to love Lavazza, especially the Pienaroma espresso, but the last time I bought it it was godawful. As was the drip roast in the can.

I was very disappointed in most of EU coffee during my first visit recently (was in France and others, but not Italy). Exactly like the US, great coffee can be found at local cafes if you try. But most places in the major cities “proudly serve” the over roasted Lavazza or Costa.